"Deep blue" LP by Parkway Drive

by Terry Bezer (05.07.2010) Every now and then an album comes along that feels special – one that’s not just going to appeal to a band’s fanbase or fans of a particular genre but will instead up the stakes for every contemporary band around them. Parkway Drive are about to deliver one of those earth-shattering albums. Vocalist Winston McCall manages to provide killer vocal hooks throughout Deep Blue without ever entering into the realms of melody, much like Randy Blythe manages for Lamb Of God, whilst producer Joe Barresi creates a crisp sound that captures the understated complexities of Parkway Drive’s assault perfectly for the first time. The subtle lead guitars that swim beautifully around the band’s trademark heaviness are jaw-dropping and the level of consistency is devastating. It’s nigh-on impossible to pick out an album highlight when every track here hits the bullseye. The slick barrage of Sleepwalker, the beatdown-palooza on Deadweight and Deliver Me and the savage album closer Set To Destroy – all these and more are classics in waiting. Parkway Drive have created a record that isn’t just a landmark album for themselves, it’s a milestone album for modern metal. Every band to ever try their hand at beatdown-laden, hardcore-tinged metal has a brand new measuring stick and this is it. Deep Blue isn’t just one of the albums of the year, it’s a game-changing contemporary metal album that will be revered for years to come.